VCE Science Projects
Adopt-a-Plant
Community scientists from Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts were invited to adopt a native plant for their own garden or balcony. By collecting data on plant growth and insect activity throughout the year, these volunteers are helping us gather more conclusive evidence on the relationship between plant ecotype and pollinator support.
Taxa: Arachnids, Invertebrates, Birds Ecosystem: Developed Region: Northeastern US Volunteers: No
Native Plant Ecotype Experiment
We are collaborating with Native Plant Trust on a first-of-its-kind, community-based garden experiment to assess how plant provenance influences plant phenology, flower resources, and pollinator support.
Taxa: Plants, Invertebrates Ecosystem: Developed, Agricultural Region: Northeastern US Volunteers: No
Pollinator Interactions on Plants
In February of 2023, VCE launched a community science project studying plant-insect interactions across the northeastern United States. It's called the Pollinator Interactions on Plants project, or ‘PIP’ for short. You can contribute—all you need is a camera (or your phone), and an enthusiasm for observing insect life and flowers around you.
New PIP Mission! Vulnerable Bumble Bees
Keep a special look out for:
Bombus terricola - Yellow-banded Bumble Bee (Northern PA, NY, New England)
Bombus fervidus- Golden Northern Bumble Bee (whole region)
Bombus pensylvanicus - American Bumble Bee (Southern NJ, and Southern PA)
Taxa: Invertebrates, Birds Ecosystem: Developed, Agricultural Region: Northeastern US Volunteers: Yes - Beginner
Second Vermont Butterfly Atlas
The Vermont Butterfly Atlas is a five-year survey that is completed every 20 years with the help of volunteer community scientists, who document the abundance and distribution of butterflies across Vermont.
Taxa: Invertebrates Ecosystem: Grasslands & Meadows, Forests, Developed, Mountains, Agricultural Region: Vermont Volunteers: Yes - Beginner
Vermont Atlas of Life
The Vermont Atlas of Life is a library of knowledge on Vermont’s animals, plants, fungi, and microorganisms—an online, real-time resource with maps, photographs, and primary biodiversity data open for anyone to use.
Taxa: Amphibians, Invertebrates, Mammals, Plants, Reptiles, Mollusks, Arachnids, Birds, Fungi, Fish Ecosystem: Forests, Grasslands & Meadows, Mountains, Developed, Lakes & Ponds, Agricultural Region: Vermont Volunteers: Yes - Beginner
Vermont Breeding Bird Survey
For more than 60 summers, expert volunteer birders have risen before dawn to count birds along roadside routes across North America. The Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) is the continent’s longest-running landbird monitoring program, a cornerstone of modern bird conservation.
Taxa: Birds Ecosystem: Forests, Grasslands & Meadows, Mountains, Lakes & Ponds, Developed, Agricultural Region: Vermont Volunteers: Yes - Advanced
Upper Valley Backyard Tick Project
New Englanders are worried about ticks and the diseases they spread. So many anxious homeowners are turning to a relatively new service: backyard tick spraying. How is this affecting beneficial insects like pollinators? And does it work?
Taxa: Invertebrates Ecosystem: Developed Region: Upper Valley Volunteers: No
Vermont Wild Bee Survey
Wild bees are a diverse and ecologically important insect group. And as one of the most important groups of pollinators, they provide essential ecological and agricultural services.
Taxa: Invertebrates Ecosystem: Forests, Grasslands & Meadows, Developed, Agricultural Region: Vermont Volunteers: No
